Athletics: Tayler's record finally broken

By CHRIS RATTUE

It would be putting it mildly to say that New Zealand's middle-distance runners live in the shadows of men such as Peter Snell and John Walker, to name only two of the greatest.

Today's runners are as anonymous as Snell, Walker and Co were famous, struggling to qualify for big meetings then making up the numbers when they do.

A cherished legacy has been lost.

New Zealand once had a jump on the field, and used the advantage magnificently.

But our runners of today lack the natural gifts and/or the training ability to get anywhere near a busload of Kenyans for a start.

As Michael Aish and John Henwood, who finished eighth and 10th in the 10,000m, walked off the Manchester track surrounded by the biggest athletics crowd in Britain for nearly 50 years, a reminder of the past again boomed at them through the loudspeakers.

Kenyan Wilberforce Talel won the gold medal in 27m 45.39s, beating two other Kenyans and a Tanzanian across the line after an enthralling battle down the home straight.

Talel beat Dick Tayler's Games record, set on that memorable first day in Christchurch 28 years ago.

So once again, the New Zealander's name was heard on opening day.

And even a crusty old English journalist in Manchester could be heard telling one and all that Tayler's performance opened the greatest Commonwealth Games athletics meeting of them all.

Race tactics determine the ability to break records in long track events, but it still seemed remarkable that Tayler's record had stood in the face of the opportunity for training advancements and the ability of the African runners.

Aish, who lives in Colorado where he attends university, was 50s behind the winner, but this was a more pleasant experience for him than the 2000 Olympics.

He had endured what he felt was ridicule after trailing the field in Sydney.

He was, after all, someone who had endured great personal cost to perform as best as he could for his country.

"In New Zealand, everybody reads the papers or listens to the radio. My family was affected," he said.

"I got depressed. People were saying, 'What the hell is he doing in a black singlet?' I got very depressed."

Aish added: "It is very tough out there these days. Dick Quax still holds New Zealand's 10,000m record with a time which would have just won this race tonight.

"Yet these guys [the race leaders] were mucking around.

"They did the first 5km very slowly. They could have run a minute quicker than that.

"It's a lot tougher running than it was in the days of Quax.

"The Kenyans treat running like we treat rugby. If we put the combined efforts of rugby, netball and cricket into running, we would have great runners."

At least Aish and Henwood finished well ahead of Englishman Ian Hudspith, a lonely figure at the back of the field.

Hudspith, though, received a sort of hero's welcome at the finish line from a crowd of 38,000, buoyed after seeing hammer thrower Lorraine Shaw win England's first gold medal.

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

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